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Cautious optimism as amendments made to controversial Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Was the House of Lords Planning debate the lifeline that nature needed?
With many of us concerned that the Planning Bill is a “licence to destroy nature”, we look at Lords’ reactions to the proposals.
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At 4pm on Wednesday 25 June, the UK Government’s Planning & Infrastructure Bill had its first debate in the House of Lords. Without amendment, Part 3 of the new Bill risks sending nature into freefall, and over the past month, we have been campaigning to see this part of the Bill scrapped.
Earlier this month, the Government missed an important opportunity to make amendments. As the Bill completed its final stages through the House of Commons, a number of MPs raised their voices for nature – but the Bill’s contents remained deeply concerning.
If the Government does intend to act going forward, the House of Lords is where amendments will be made. Speaking up for nature was crucial in the run up to this debate, and so we have voiced our concerns alongside other organisations and with nature lovers like you. But was Wednesday's debate the lifeline for nature we'd hoped?
What happened at the House of Lords?
Thanks to you, our calls are being listened to. We were pleased to see wildlife acknowledged throughout the debate, and our concerns echoed amongst the Lords. Lord Roborough, Conservative Peer and a Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, says:
We hear major concerns about Part 3 of this Bill from the National Trust, the NFU, the Wildlife Trusts, the Woodland Trust, Wildlife and Countryside Link, the Better Planning Coalition, the CPRE, the CLA, the RSPB and many more. I do not think I have ever come across an issue on which they were united….”
In contrast to the Government’s continued anti-nature rhetoric, Lord Gascoigne (Conservative) said: “Recently I went to Aylesbury, where Barratt and the RSPB have partnered on 2,500 homes. Since then, the number of sparrows has risen by 4,000%, Goldfinches by 200% and bumblebees by 50%. This is despite not just Brexit but the presence of roads, homes, shops and schools, and all because nature was put in at the outset. They are not alone; others are doing it. Nature is not a blocker to growth but a part of growth. It creates jobs, as my noble friend on the Front Bench knows all too well. It revives places and helps to make healthier and happier communities.”
Many Peers were clear about the threat posed to irreplaceable habitats by Part 3. Earl Russell, Liberal Democrat Peer and Energy and Climate Change spokesperson said: “I do not much like the idea that nature can be transplanted in this way for a fee. It treats nature as akin to a problem as simple as house removals. Nature cannot simply be moved around to suit developers’ needs. This model is entirely unsuitable for irreplaceable habitats.”
And we were pleased to see a genuine commitment among Peers to securing that win-win for nature. Baroness Young (Labour) said: “The narrative in this country on this has become too polarised over recent months: you are either a builder or a blocker. It is either development or the environment. We are smarter than that; we can deliver both. Part 3 will need considerable change if we are going to do that.”
Baroness Taylor, Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government, committed to writing to peers to address their concerns about Part 3 of the Bill.
However, there is still more work to do.
What next?
The Bill will now proceed to Committee Stage, where the Lords will go through it line by line. This is an opportunity for key amendments to be brought forwards. While there was much positive noise about nature across the House, and we were relieved to see our calls recognised, there was still worrying rhetoric from some Lords.
Viscount Trenchard said: "There are areas where the Government could provide much more encouragement to house-builders, by removing legacy EU habitat regulations, which offer a ridiculous amount of protection to bats, for example, and other EU legacy red tape, which both the last Government and this one have been too slow to abolish.”
Removing Habitat Regulations would be catastrophic for the UK’s wildlife. These are our strongest protections for nature and have successfully protected some of the most special and vulnerable places for many years. Now, ahead of the Committee Stage, is a crucial time for us to carry on making our voices heard.
Why is the new Bill so destructive?
The UK Government has claimed that its new Planning & Infrastructure Bill offers huge ‘win-win’ opportunities to boost nature, whilst supporting ambitions to build new houses, roll-out renewables, and drive economic growth. This is simply not true.
We have raised our concerns, alongside other nature organisations, MPs and our supporters, about the Bill’s damaging ‘cash-to-trash’ model. In its current form, the Planning & Infrastructure Bill loosens environmental protections on some of England’s most precious habitats. It prioritises mitigation over prevention. If implemented, developers will be able to pay into a nature restoration fund to enable them to by-pass these protections.
The fund will be used to mitigate or compensate for the damage their developments will cause to ecosystems. We fear that this money for mitigation will be seen as ‘get out of jail’ ticket, and developers won’t have any incentive to avoid the UK’s most special places for nature in the first place.
These habitats – ancient woodlands alive with the sound of the Dawn Chorus, world-famous chalk streams, and more – are irreplaceable, whether officially classified by the Government as such or not. Damage caused through development would be at odds with their responsibility to make sure that we meet legal commitments to protect 30% of our lands and seas by 2030.
In its current form, Part 3 of the Bill must be scrapped.
Are newts and bats really a blocker to growth?
Since Part 3 of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill has been announced, we have been concerned about the Government’s continued anti-nature rhetoric. Newts, spiders and bats have been cited as the reason for stalled development, despite the Government’s own Impact Assessment Report on the Bill finding that current nature protections were not ‘blockers’ to building.
Recent research from The Wildlife Trusts supports this too, showing that the species blamed by the Government factor into just 3% of planning appeal decisions.
The evidence clearly shows nature isn’t a blocker to growth. The Government has identified the wrong obstacle to the problem it’s trying to overcome, and that has led it to the wrong solutions. With no amendment in sight, the complete removal of Part 3 of the Bill is the only responsible option left.”
– Beccy Speight, RSPB Chief Executive
How can you help?
Thousands of people will be heading to Westminster on 9 July 2025 to call on their MP to create a future where nature and people can thrive together. We'd love you to come along! This is an opportunity to talk about the nature and climate issues you care about, like planning. You’ll also get the chance to meet other like-minded nature lovers who are speaking up for nature.
